Lock for vestibule-car doors.



PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

A. W. ZI'MMERMAN. LOCK FOR VESTIBULE GAR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET v1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 775,617. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904. A. W. ZIMMERMAN. LOOK FOR VESTIBULE CAR DOORS.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 7,1904. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES Patented November 22,1904} PATENT OFFICE.

ARNOLD VV. ZIMMERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE.- HALF TO PETER M. KLING, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

LOCK FOR VESTlBULE-CAR DOORS- SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,617, dated o m 22, 1904.

Application filed July 7, 1904.

To all 2071 0711 it Hui/y concern:

Be it .known that I, ARNOLD W. ZIMMER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for vestibule-Car Doors, of which the following is a specification.

vestibule-car doors are now constructed of two or more panels or sections hinged together so as to fold compactly one upon another when the door is opened and thrown back against the end of the car. With this form of door considerable difiiculty has been encountered in providing a suitable locking mechanism which can be conveniently operated either from the inside or from the outside of the car. The locking mechanism which is usually employed on this form of vestibule-door has been applied to the far edge of the outer section of the door farthest from the hinged connection of V the sectional door with the door-frame and has been of such construction that it is necessary to firmly press the hinged center of the sectional door into position in the door-frame before the lock will engage its keeper. In this structure, which is usually employed, it has also been found necessary to provide an auxiliary lock or catch adjacent to the central hinge, (which connects the two sections of the door,) so as to engage the door-frame and hold the door firmly in closed position.

The present invention consists in providing a sectional door with a locking mechanism arranged upon one of the door-sections adjacent to the line of the central hinges which connect the panels or sections and adapted to engage the door-frame at both top and bottom and provided with a convenient operating handle or knob by which the door can be conveniently and firmly pressed into closed position in the door-frame and the locking mechanism operated for securely holding the door closed. The operating handle or knob is preferably extended through the door-section on which it is mounted, so that the locking mechanism may also be operated from the outside of the car. The lock proper consists, preferably, of two longitudinally n1ovable bars mounted Serial No. 215,616. (No model.)

upon the door so that their upper and lower ends may be projected, respectively, beyond the upper and lower edges of the door and having suitable means operated by the door knob or handle for simultaneously throwing said parts in opposite directions to'engagein suitable sockets or keepers formed in the top and bottom of the door-frame. This locking mechanism is also adapted to hold the sectional door in open folded position by engaging similar sockets, one of which is supported upon a bracket secured to the end of the carbody, while the other is set into the vestibulefioor.

In orderthat my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of one end of a vestibule-car, showingthenear side of the vestibule broken away for the purpose of clearly illustrating the inner side of the opposite door with my improved locking mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the improved lock mechanism for the sectional vestibule-door. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional View showing the door in closed position. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the door locked in open position. Fig. 5 is a detail front view of the main operating mechanism of the lock. Fig. 6 is a front view of a novel form of hinge used in connection with the locking mechanism for hinging the two sections of the door.

1 is a vestibule-car of any suitable construction, and 2 is the vestibule having the usual dooropenings 3 at the opposite sides, which lead to the steps 4. Each of the door-openings 3 is closed by the sectional door, made up, preferably, of two panels or sections 5 and 6, which are hinged together at 7. The section 5 is hinged to the door-frame at 8 to form a hinge-support for the sectional door.

The section or panel 6 of the double door is provided with a locking mechanism, its rear edge adjacent to the central line of hinges 7. This locking mechanism consists, preferably,

of two oppositely-locking bolts or bars and 11, adapted to be projected beyond the upper andlower ends, respectively, of the door to engage the upper socket or keeper 12, mounted at the upper edge of the door-frame 3, and the lower socket 13, cut into the threshold plate or floor of the vestibule. The locking-bars 10 and 11 are formed with beveled-out ends, as shown at 10 and 11, to enable them to force the door into closed position by wedging into their sockets. The bars 10 and 11 are suitably supported upon the door-section in vertical position. The inner adjacent ends of the locking-bolts 10 and 11 slide in asuitable casing 15. Each of the bolts is formed at its inner end with a rack-bar 16, meshing with the rotatable pinion 17 mounted upon the arbor 18, which is journaled in bearings 19, formed in the casing and removable lockplate 15. The arbor 18 has hinged to its inner end a handle-loop 20, by which the pinion 17 may be rotated from the inside of the car.

is a countersunk plate set into the outer part of the door-section 6, and 26 is a handle suitably mounted in the countersunk plate 25 and carrying the inwardly-projected squared key or axle 27, which fits in the socket 28, formed in the arbor 18 of the pinion 17. Any suitable means may be provided for holding the handle 26 in position in the countersunk plate 25. I prefer to screw-thread the hub of handle 26, as shown at 26, and thread the opening through countersunkplate 25 for the reception of the threaded hub. When the parts are assembled, the hub of handle is screwed into the threaded opening of plate 25 just far enough to insure its being held in place, suflicient leeway being allowed for the partial rotation of the handle for operating the lock. The plate is then screwed in position on the door, with the squared axle engaging socket 28 of arbor 18.

It will be observed by referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings that the countersunk plate 25 is one of a pair of central hinged plates constituting one of hinges 7 for connecting the sections 5 and 6 of the door. The other hingeplate connected with plate 25 (shown at 30) is countersunk into the outer face of the section 5 of the door, so that when the door is opened and the two sections are folded together the handle 26 will fit into the cup or socket of plate 30 and allow the two sections of the door to fold closely together, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the door is opened and folded back against the end of the car, the locking mechanism is operated to cause the upper and lower bolts to engage sockets at top and bottom for securing the doorin opened folded position.

It will be observed that by reason of the construction and location of the locking mechanism adjacent to the central hinge of the doorsections it is a simple matter to force the door into closed position and securely lock it by a single operation.

' to its seat.

It will be observed by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings that the free end of outer section 6 of the door fits into a mortise in the doorframe and that the hinged central edges of the door-sections are chamfered to fit snugly together.

The object of my improved locking mechanism will be clear. When the door is closed, pressure is applied upon the handle to force the door to its seat and the handle turned for throwing the bolts into their sockets. .The beveled ends of the bolts force the door snugly As already explained, the door may be opened and closed from the inside or outside.

While I have illustrated and described the central hinge connecting the two sections or panels of the door as formed of two countersunk and socketed plates or leaves and a countersunk handle journaled in one of these socketed plates or leaves, I would have it understood that the essence of this part of my invention is a socketed hinge plate or leaf 30, the socket of which is adapted to receive the operating-handle. The plate 25 is'pref'erably, also, formed with a socket or cup to adapt it to use with a mortised handle; but this plate 25 may be a simple flat plate or leaf, and the operating-handle may be of any of the usual or ordinary forms;

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a door-frame, with a sectional door hinged therein and comprising sections or panels which are hinged together, a locking mechanism comprising a pair of oppositely-moving bolts mounted upon one of the door-sections adjacent to the line of connecting-hinges and extending vertically upon the door, and an operating-handle located upon said door-section and having means for engaging said bolts for simultaneously operating them, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vestibule-car, the combination of a vestibule-door frame, a sectionaldoor hinged therein, oppositely moving locking bolts mounted upon one of said door-sections, handoperated means for operating said bolts, locking-sockets in the top and bottom of the doorframe adapted to receive said bolts, and additional top and bottom locking sockets mounted respectively on the end of the car- IISI body and in the vestibule-floor in position to handle into said rotatable arbor or axle, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a door-frame, With a sectional door hinged therein and comprising sections or panels Which are hinged together, and a locking device mounted upon one of the door-sections and including a rotatable operating-handle, one of the hinges connecting the door sections or panels being formed With a socketed plate or leaf, the socket of which is adapted to receive said operatinghandle When the sectional door is folded back into open position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a door-frame, With a sectional door hinged therein and comprising two sections connected by a central line of hinges, one of said hinges consisting of a pair of countersunk plates formed with sockrotatable arbor or axle, substantially as set 5 forth.

ARNOLD W. ZIMMERMAN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM P. HAMMOND, WM. E. KNIGHT. 

